English sport has suffered another setback this week with the events at the fourth One Day International between England and New Zealand at the Oval. Fair minded cricket betting fans noticed that things started to go downhill when Kiwi batsman, Grant Elliot collided with Ryan Sidebottom during a run and subsequently failed to get to the crease before being ‘run out’.

The England side called an appeal and the umpires, acting within the laws of the game, gave the Kiwi out. The umpires then gave England Captain, Paul Collingwood, two opportunities to rescind the decision but he failed to do so. Luckily, the incident did not affect the outcome of the game and New Zealand went on to win. Collingwood was also given a four match suspension for England’s slow over rate.

After the match, Collingwood went to the visitor’s dressing room and apologised for what, on reflection, he had decided was a ‘wrong call’. Subsequently many cricketing luminaries have leapt to Collingwood’s defence. Perhaps more depressingly, public bulletin boards also defend his action on the basis that it is his job to win the match so long as he stays within the rules of the game.

In sport it’s not just the rules that govern the mode of play; there is also the etiquette which underlies the spirit of the game. Sports betting enthusiasts will agree that there is no better sport than golf to observe etiquette at play. Players routinely report an accidental misdemeanour which they have committed while out of sight of any observer. They are then penalised so that no advantage is obtained. It’s called being fair. To see this occur sends tingles down my spine and deeply enhances my appreciation of the game and of life itself.

Football is the source of most bad gamesmanship. There is barely any etiquette left in the game at all and it seems that this attitude of winning at all costs is seeping into other sports. It should be the other way round and that the good manners within golf were the source of inspiration for all of the sporting fraternity.